Queen Elizabeth Strips Prince Andrew of His Titles Amid Sex Abuse Court Case

LONDON—

Queen Elizabeth

stripped Britain’s

Prince Andrew

of his navy affiliations and patronages on Thursday, as Buckingham Palace seems to distance itself from the prince, who is embroiled in a legal struggle over allegations that he sexually abused a teenager in the early 2000s.

The queen’s next son also agreed not to use the title “His Royal Highness” in any ability, a Buckingham Palace formal mentioned.

Prince Andrew is going through a probable trial in New York this slide right after his lawyers a short while ago failed to halt a accommodate stemming from his ties to disgraced financier

Jeffrey Epstein

and British socialite

Ghislaine Maxwell.

A person of Epstein’s victims,

Virginia Giuffre,

filed the lawsuit versus Prince Andrew past calendar year, alleging she was pressured to have sex with the British royal when she was seventeen. Prince Andrew has denied all the allegations.

The removing of his titles marks a slide from grace for Prince Andrew, who has long been the heart of unfavorable publicity for the palace. In 2011, he gave up a position as U.K. trade envoy right after currently being criticized over his ties to Epstein and connections to controversial figures in the Center East. In 2019, he agreed to quickly stage again from royal obligations.

Prince Harry was also stripped of his navy titles past calendar year and barred from using the HRH title when he stop royal obligations in 2020 to move to the U.S.

On Thursday, Buckingham Palace mentioned that Prince Andrew’s navy affiliations were returned to the queen with her “approval and arrangement.” It included Prince Andrew will protect his in case in New York as a personal citizen. Buckingham Palace mentioned he “will continue not to undertake any general public obligations.”

Prince Andrew, who is a veteran of the Falklands War, was a colonel in the British Army’s Grenadier Guards and also hold many other honorary navy titles. Buckingham Palace mentioned several patronages such as the Commonwealth Golfing Modern society and the Helicopter Club of Good Britain. These will be redistributed to other associates of the royal spouse and children.

The prospect of a highly publicized trial in the calendar year that Queen Elizabeth is because of to celebrate her 70 a long time on the British throne is creating consternation in Buckingham Palace, officers say. Considering that 2019, the prince has rarely appeared in general public with the royal spouse and children.

If a trial proceeds, royal watchers now feel that settling out of court with Ms. Giuffre would be the most productive way to place an finish to the subject. Nonetheless, that could raise questions about who would pay out for a settlement, presented the British taxpayer helps fund the royal spouse and children with an yearly grant. Prince Andrew however life on his mother’s estate in Windsor. He now does not have a whole-time position. Buckingham Palace declined to comment on the on ongoing trial.

Prince Andrew was properly sent into royal exile right after making an attempt to very clear his identify with a 2019 interview with the British Broadcasting Corp. that provoked an extreme, unfavorable general public response.

The prince mentioned during that interview that he regretted keeping at Epstein’s New York dwelling in 2010, following Epstein’s launch from prison right after a sexual-assault conviction. The prince stated he was executing the “honorable thing” by telling Epstein in particular person that he was ending their marriage. He mentioned that he had no recollection of at any time conference Ms. Giuffre or dancing with her in a London nightclub. He included that her account of him perspiring in the nightclub couldn’t be accurate since at the time he had a clinical condition that meant he couldn’t sweat.

Prince Andrew later issued a assertion stating he regretted his “ill-judged association” with Epstein. He stepped again from royal obligations soon right after. Nonetheless, the announcement at the time constantly still left the door open for his return to the royal entrance line ought to his identify be cleared. Buckingham Palace’s assertion on Thursday seems to close the door on that.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s programs to come to be “financially independent” have place the royal family’s finances into the highlight. WSJ’s Max Colchester unpacks the quantities and clarifies why the monarchy’s money remains a sensitive subject in the U.K. Image: Ben Stansall/Getty Images

Create to Max Colchester at [email protected]

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